Patent Application
20240405473
This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a)-(d) of Chinese Patent Application No. 202321398461.X, filed on Jun. 2, 2023.
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an electrical connector and a connector assembly.
Electrical connectors are commonly used to establish electrical connections between individual electronic components or devices, while high-voltage connectors are mainly used for vehicles, charging facilities, industrial equipment, medical equipment, etc. For example, with the development of electric or hybrid vehicles, their connection requirements are increasingly diversified, such as high voltage connections for charging a battery of the electric vehicle and for connecting the batteries to an electric motor, so as to provide a safe and reliable high voltage/high current connection between the power battery, power distribution unit, inverter, electric motor, charger, etc. of the vehicle.
The connection system of the electric vehicle needs to carry a very high current level, and especially during high-power charging or peak acceleration, the electric vehicles use high-voltage connectors for transmissions of currents at the level of 60V or higher and 10 A-300 A or higher. In high voltage applications, electrical connectors, such as a board-end connector electrically connected to a power supply such as a battery or a wire-end connector electrically connected to a cable, needs to have a finger protection function to avoid the risk of electric shock.
In addition, a physical space inside vehicle itself is limited, so those electrical connections also need to be optimized for compactness, weight, geometric flexibility, and cost. For example, as power supplies such as energy storage batteries become lightweight and miniaturized, the connectors required to be used are also miniaturized (e.g., with a reduced height). Further, due to the limited installation space inside the vehicle, the installation layout of the connector product and the harness avoidance space have posed challenges. Some conventional connector structures can usually only be mated with a mating connector at a fixed orientation or angle; changing of the installation orientation or position will interfere with the internal structure of the vehicle and is not convenient for installation.
An electrical connector for mating with a mating connector includes a first connection terminal, an outer housing within which the first connection terminal is at least partially installed, and an inner housing at least partially arranged within the outer housing. The first connection terminal has a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end is electrically connectable to a mating end of a second connection terminal of the mating connector. The inner housing is rotatable relative to the outer housing. The first end of the first connection terminal is positioned within the inner housing and electrically contacts the mating end of the second connection terminal with the mating end rotatable relative to the first end.
Features and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter in detail taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same or similar parts are indicated by the same or similar reference numerals. The description of each of the embodiments of the present disclosure hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the general inventive concept of the present disclosure and should not be construed as a limitation on the present disclosure.
In addition, in the following detailed description, for the sake of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may also be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are illustrated schematically to simplify the drawing.
In the detailed description below, directional terms such as “front”, “back”, “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”, “upper” and “lower”, “inside” and “outside”, etc. are defined according to the accompanying drawings, but the shape and position of the parts are not limited by these terms and can be adjusted according to practical application.
In addition, the terms used herein are intended to describe exemplary embodiments and are not intended to limit and/or constrain the present disclosure. Unless the context expressly states otherwise, the singular forms “one”, “a” and “said” and “the” are also intended to include the plural form. In the present disclosure, the terms “include”, “comprise”, “have”, and similar terms are used to enumeration features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more of such features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.
Although the terms “first”, “second”, etc. may be used herein to describe a variety of different elements, these elements should not be restricted by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and the second element may be referred to as the first element. The term “and/or” includes multiple combinations of associated items or any one of multiple associated items.
An electrical connector and a connector assembly including such electrical connector are provided according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, for establishing electrical connections between various types of electronic components or devices, as shown in the figures. As an example, the electrical connector or connector assembly provided by the present disclosure can be used as a high voltage electrical connector in such fields as electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, electric industrial equipment, medical equipment, charging facilities, etc., for example, used to provide a safe and reliable high voltage/high current connection between power battery, power distribution unit, power control unit, inverter, electric motor, charger and other electrical equipment of the vehicle.
In the exemplary embodiments as shown, the connector assembly includes an electrical connector 100 and a mating connector 200 capable of mating with each other. In the following text and drawings, description will be made by taking the electrical connector 100 as a socket connector suitable for being fixed (e.g., to an electrical equipment or its installation panel) and the mating connector 200 as a plug connector suitable for connecting a cable 1, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.
As shown in
As an example, as shown in
In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical connector 100 also includes an insulating inner housing 130, as shown in
According to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the first connection terminal 110 can be fixedly or non-rotationally positioned relative to the outer housing 120. Even if the second end 112 of the first connection terminal 110 has been installed to or electrically connected to the electrical equipment or its internal electronic component, the inner housing 130 of the electrical connector 100 and the second connection terminal 210 of the mating connector 200 are still rotatable relative to the first connection terminal 110 and the outer housing 120, which means that the mating connector 200 and electrical connector 100 can be mated or separated from different angles or orientations (e.g. in the range of 360)°. It is suitable for various installation scenarios and installation spaces and is easy to install or separate.
In some examples, as shown in
In the illustrated embodiments, as shown in
As an example, the first engagement portion may include a detent 133, shown in
In some applications, the first connection terminal 110 of the electrical connector 100 is electrically connected to a high-voltage device such as a battery. The operator may mistakenly touch the first end 111 of the first connection terminal 110 exposed from the inner housing 130 while operating the connector assembly, resulting in a risk of electric shock. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in
In an embodiment, the first cover 131 may extend radially inward from the hollow cylindrical body of the inner housing 130. For example, the first cover 131 extends integrally from the hollow cylindrical body or there is a connecting arm between the hollow cylindrical body and the first cover 131, and the first cover 131 can be positioned so that the first cover 131 is rotatable relative to the first end 111 of the first connection terminal 110. Thus, the first cover 131 can rotate together with the inner housing 130 relative to the first connection terminal 110 and the outer housing 120. In further embodiments, a gap between the first cover 131 and the outer housing 120 is sized to prevent the finger of a user from entering the inner housing 130 and contacting the first connection terminal 110 located in the terminal accommodation space (for example, during operation of mating with or detaching from the mating connector). For example, the size of the gap may be smaller than the size (e.g., width or thickness) of the finger in the direction perpendicular to the length of the finger, so that the finger cannot be in contact with the first connection terminal 110, thus providing finger protection or finger anti-contact function at the side of the electrical connector 100, thereby improving safety.
In some examples, as shown in
As described above, the electrical connector 100 is suitable for being installed or fixed to an electrical equipment. In the illustrated embodiments, the electrical connector 100 may further include a flange part 150 suitable for being installed via fasteners onto an installation panel of the electrical equipment. The flange part 150 may extend (e.g., integrally) from the outer side wall of the outer housing 120 outward (e.g., vertically) into a flat plate or other shape suitable for installation. After assembly, the first end 111 of the first connection terminal 110 is located on one side or outside of the flange part 150, while the second end 112 is located on the opposite other side or inside of the flange part 150 for easy connection with the electrical equipment or its internal electronic component. The seal 142 may be arranged on the opposite other side or inside of the flange part 150 to create a waterproof seal between the electrical connector 100 and the installation panel of the electrical equipment.
In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first connection terminal 110 of the electrical connector 100 and the second connection terminal 210 of the mating connector 200 make contact in such a manner that both of them are allowed to rotate relative to each other, thereby allowing adjustment of the installation orientation or position of the mating connector 200 relative to the electrical connector 100 for a variety of installation scenarios. In some examples, the outer circumferential or inner circumferential surface of the first end 111 of the first connection terminal 110 is adapted to make sliding contact with the mating end 211 of the second connection terminal 210 to allow the mating end 210 to rotate along the circumferential surface relative to the first end 111.
Shapes of the first connection terminal 110 of the electrical connector 100 and of the second connection terminal 210 of the mating connector 200 may be constructed in various ways, such that first connection terminal 110 and second connection terminal 210 are allowed to make rotatable contact therebetween. As an example, as shown in
In the illustrated embodiments, an annular gap is defined within the terminal accommodation space defined by the inner housing 130 between the circumferential surface of the first end 111 of the first connection terminal 110 and the inner wall surface of the inner housing 130 and is configured for at least partially accommodating the mating end 211 of the second connection terminal 210, such that the mating end 211 with a hollow cylindrical shape is allowed to be inserted into the annular gap in such a manner that the mating end 211 makes a sliding contact with an outer circumferential surface of the first end 111 and is rotatable relative to the first end 111.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In a state where the mating connector 200 is mated in a plug-in way with the electrical connector 100, the second connection terminal 210 can be arranged to interfere with the inner housing 130 in a circumferential direction or a rotation direction, so that a shell 220 of the mating connector 200 can bring the inner housing 130 via the second connection terminal 210 to rotate relative to the outer housing 120 and the first connection terminal 110 of the electrical connector 120. For example, the main body and the second end 212 of the second connection terminal 210 may extend in a second direction (namely X direction in the figure) different from the first direction (namely Z direction in the figure), such that the portion of the second connection terminal 210 close to the mating end 211 may be positioned in the slot 132 which may be formed for example at a position near a connecting arm between the first cover 131 and the hollow cylindrical body, thus, the rotation of the second connection terminal 210 relative to the first connection terminal 110 can bring the inner housing 130 to rotate together.
As shown in
In illustrated embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it should be understood for those skilled in the art that these embodiments may be varied without departing from the principle and spirit of the present disclosure, and that the scope of protection of the present disclosure is limited by the attached claims and their equivalents. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, the words “include”, “comprise”, “have” as used herein do not exclude other elements or steps. In addition, the designation of any elements of the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202321398461.X | Jun 2023 | CN | national |
